Often before a fisherman attempts to catch large fish, such as salmon or halibut, he will first catch smaller fish, called bait fish. The bait fish, one such example being herring, is placed on the hooks used to capture the desired prey in order to lure the prey to the hook. Some small fish, such as herring and smelt, are also commonly caught for food. Small fish are traditionally caught with the aid of a jig line, which is attached to the fisherman's pole. A jig line is comprised of a fishing line to which a number of small, spaced-apart hooks are attached by gangion lines. Once placed in the water, the jig line is jigged (moved up and down rapidly) by the fisherman when a school of small fish is located. The rapid movement of the unbaited hooks attracts fish to the hooks where they are captured.
A problem with the use of a jig line is that the line can only be rewound on a pole to which it is attached to the point where the first gangion line reaches the end of the pole. The remainder of the gangion lines and the hooks dangle from the end of the fishing line. This leaves the hooks free to become tangled among themselves and/or to catch on adjacent gear or articles of clothing. The time spent having to untangle the hooks so that they can be placed back in the water can detract form a fisherman's ability to rapidly place a jig line in the water so that he can catch fish in a rapidly moving school. Moreover, the task of having to untangle the hooks or having to properly stow them to prevent their entanglement can depreciate the fisherman's overall enjoyment of the sport.